Patient-Reported Stigma Across Health Conditions: Insights From the National Health and Wellness Survey (NHWS) in China
Author(s)
Lawrence Vandervoort, MPH1, Amanda Woo, PhD2, Neeyor Bose, PhD1, Nikoletta Sternbach, BA3, Shaloo Gupta, MS3.
1Oracle Life Sciences, Singapore, Singapore, 2Oracle Life Sciences Singapore, Singapore, Singapore, 3Oracle Life Science, Austin, TX, USA.
1Oracle Life Sciences, Singapore, Singapore, 2Oracle Life Sciences Singapore, Singapore, Singapore, 3Oracle Life Science, Austin, TX, USA.
OBJECTIVES: Stigma surrounding conditions such as mental health disorders, dermatological diseases, and sexually transmitted infections can significantly reduce the likelihood of individuals seeking diagnosis and appropriate care. Using a nationally representative real-world dataset of the urban population of China, we examined to what extent people with commonly stigmatized conditions reported feeling stigma as a consequence of their condition. This study highlights the extent to which stigma is present in people with commonly stigmatized conditions in the urban Chinese population.
METHODS: Data from the 2025 National Health and Wellness Survey (NHWS) in China, a cross-sectional, nationally representative, general population survey, were used. Disease-specific stigmatization was assessed with a self-report Likert-type three-item composite scale (1 “Not at all” and 7 “Very much so”). Each item captured a different dimension of stigma: embarrassment, poor treatment and negative judgement.
RESULTS: Analyses included 20,001 respondents across China, looking into reported stigma across 9 conditions and each respondent having self-reported physician diagnoses of at least 1 of the conditions. The proportion of respondents reporting stigma varied across each condition. The lowest proportion of respondents with migraine reported stigma (66.4%), whereas psoriasis was associated with the highest proportion of respondents reporting stigma (94.8%). Over 80% of respondents reported feeling stigmatised because of their condition in 8 out the 9 reported conditions. Similar proportions of diagnosed respondents who reported receiving treatment reported stigma. The lowest proportion of treated respondents with migraine reported stigma (68.5%), while over 80% of respondents in 6 out of the 7 reported conditions reported stigma.
CONCLUSIONS: These findings highlight significant variation in the amount of stigma people reported in commonly stigmatized health conditions. Stigma maybe a barrier to diagnoses and treatment uptake and future research should consider the relative impact of stigmatization alongside more routinely examined barriers such as transportation, socioeconomic status, and health literacy.
METHODS: Data from the 2025 National Health and Wellness Survey (NHWS) in China, a cross-sectional, nationally representative, general population survey, were used. Disease-specific stigmatization was assessed with a self-report Likert-type three-item composite scale (1 “Not at all” and 7 “Very much so”). Each item captured a different dimension of stigma: embarrassment, poor treatment and negative judgement.
RESULTS: Analyses included 20,001 respondents across China, looking into reported stigma across 9 conditions and each respondent having self-reported physician diagnoses of at least 1 of the conditions. The proportion of respondents reporting stigma varied across each condition. The lowest proportion of respondents with migraine reported stigma (66.4%), whereas psoriasis was associated with the highest proportion of respondents reporting stigma (94.8%). Over 80% of respondents reported feeling stigmatised because of their condition in 8 out the 9 reported conditions. Similar proportions of diagnosed respondents who reported receiving treatment reported stigma. The lowest proportion of treated respondents with migraine reported stigma (68.5%), while over 80% of respondents in 6 out of the 7 reported conditions reported stigma.
CONCLUSIONS: These findings highlight significant variation in the amount of stigma people reported in commonly stigmatized health conditions. Stigma maybe a barrier to diagnoses and treatment uptake and future research should consider the relative impact of stigmatization alongside more routinely examined barriers such as transportation, socioeconomic status, and health literacy.
Conference/Value in Health Info
2025-11, ISPOR Europe 2025, Glasgow, Scotland
Value in Health, Volume 28, Issue S2
Code
PCR183
Topic
Patient-Centered Research
Topic Subcategory
Patient Behavior and Incentives, Patient-reported Outcomes & Quality of Life Outcomes
Disease
No Additional Disease & Conditions/Specialized Treatment Areas